Claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces), is defined as an anxiety disorder. Symptoms of claustrophobia generally manifest themselves during childhood or adolescence. Commonly known among the public as the fear of being in enclosed spaces, claustrophobic individuals fear enclosed areas and restrictions such as elevators, airplanes, caves, locked rooms, and basements. Many different situations or emotions can trigger claustrophobia. Even just thinking about certain situations can be a trigger.
Claustrophobia is a psychological disorder that causes intense distress and physiological symptoms when an individual has to remain in an enclosed space. Anyone experiencing high levels of anxiety is at risk of developing a phobia. One of the most common phobias is claustrophobia, also known as the fear of enclosed spaces. An anxiety disorder like this is thought to be a combination of genetic vulnerability and life experience. The factors that trigger claustrophobia can be listed as follows;
- Elevators
- Tunnels
- Caves
- Crowded environments
- Public transportation vehicles
- Small cars
- Cars with central locking systems
- Fitting rooms
- Rooms without windows
- Airplanes
What Are the Symptoms of Claustrophobia?
Claustrophobia symptoms overlap with symptoms of other anxiety disorders. In claustrophobia, it can frequently cause physiological problems along with symptoms such as heart palpitations, trembling, and difficulty breathing. A commonly experienced aspect of claustrophobia appears as the feeling and fear of losing control. Since individuals experiencing intense claustrophobia will want to avoid actions such as riding in an elevator or boarding an airplane, this negatively affects his daily quality of life. Along with feelings such as panic attacks, sudden fears, anxiety, and distress, it can also cause certain symptoms;
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Hot flashes
- Difficulty breathing
- Feeling of suffocation
- Rapid heartbeat
- Chest pain, chest tightness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Head pain
- Feeling of fainting
- Feeling like his body is going numb
- Dry mouth
- Tinnitus
- Brain fog
- Loss of control
- Fear of dying
What Are the Causes of Claustrophobia (Fear of Being in an Enclosed Space)?
Phobias such as claustrophobia are linked to the intensive functioning of specific parts of the brain. They vary from person to person, and their exact causes are not known. However, we can list the causes of some phobias and particularly claustrophobia as follows;
Childhood trauma: Psychiatrists accept that social factors such as childhood trauma contribute to the development of claustrophobia. For example, leaving a child locked in a closed room during childhood as a punishment or for various other reasons can lead to the development of claustrophobia later in life.
Perception of near space: The concepts of near and far are perceived in various ways by the human brain. There are specific neurons that respond to objects close to or approaching the body. Most people have a slight perceptual bias toward the left when viewing near-space objects. Biases shift to the right for distant parts. The speed of shifting from the left side to the right part as distance increases can be used as an indicator for the perceived size of near space.
Genetics: There may also be a hereditary cause that leads to claustrophobia. According to studies, it has been determined that the presence of a mutation in the GPM6A gene is more intense in individuals with claustrophobia.
How is Claustrophobia Diagnosed?
To determine a diagnosis of claustrophobia, a specialist evaluates symptoms and the individual's history and asks questions based on his medical history. These questions can contribute to identifying related issues such as social anxiety problems, post-traumatic stress disorder problems, or panic disorder.
There are no physical or laboratory tests for claustrophobia; however, a specialist can perform routine observations and questionnaires such as the claustrophobia scale and the claustrophobic questionnaire (CLQ). The specialist must determine that the criteria of the DSM-5 are met for the diagnosis of claustrophobia.
How is Claustrophobia Treated?
Individuals with claustrophobia may panic in an enclosed place such as elevators, airplanes, or crowded rooms. They can overcome claustrophobia or other phobias by using an appropriate treatment technique. This disorder can be treated like other anxiety problems. Claustrophobia treatment methods can be listed as follows;
- Psychotherapies
- Medication, exposure therapy
- Virtual reality
- There are various other therapy methods.
Claustrophobia is not a condition that an individual can resolve by himself by staying in a closed area and confronting his fear. Furthermore, it is not appropriate for people around him to leave a claustrophobic person alone in an enclosed space in order to get rid of this fear. On the contrary, this situation can lead to worse outcomes.